Biden keeps current color scheme for next Air Force One after scrapping Trump design


President Biden on Friday finalized the color scheme for the new iteration of Air Force One, the U.S. Air Force announced. The next version of the presidential plane will keep the same basic livery as the current aircraft, with a few minor tweaks.
In a press release, the Air Force said that the design for the upcoming VC-25B, a customized Boeing 747-8 that is slated to begin serving as Air Force One in the late 2020s, will have "three primary differences" from the current livery. This includes a light blue base with a slightly "deeper, more modern tone" and a darker blue around the cockpit. The polished metal section seen on the current Air Force One will also be done away with, as "modern commercial aircraft skin alloys don't allow for it."
The current Air Force One, a Boeing 747 dubbed VC-25A, went into service in 1990, and its advanced age has caused the plane to face "capability gaps, rising maintenance costs, and parts obsolescence." The Boeing 747-8 was tapped to succeed the current plane in 2015, and will come with "electrical power upgrades, a mission communication system, a medical facility, an executive interior, a self-defense system, and autonomous ground operations capabilities," the Air Force said.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Biden's decision to keep the current livery, which dates back to the Kennedy administration, does away with a previous choice made by former President Donald Trump in 2019. Trump had selected a darker red, white, and blue color scheme for the new plane, but the Biden administration made it clear upon taking office that they would do away with this palette.
The Air Force said the dark blue in Trump's livery would have required additional testing "due to the added heat in certain environments," and would have also raised operational costs.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Justin Klawans has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022. He began his career covering local news before joining Newsweek as a breaking news reporter, where he wrote about politics, national and global affairs, business, crime, sports, film, television and other news. Justin has also freelanced for outlets including Collider and United Press International.
-
Magazine solutions - May 2, 2025
Puzzles and Quizzes Issue - May 2, 2025
By The Week US
-
Magazine printables - May 2, 2025
Puzzles and Quizzes Issue - May 2, 2025
By The Week US
-
Shakespeare not an absent spouse, study proposes
speed read A letter fragment suggests that the Shakespeares lived together all along, says scholar Matthew Steggle
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
A dozen states sue Trump to halt tariffs
Speed Read The states sued in the US Court of International Trade, seeking to stop tariffs they say will damage their economies
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Trump blames Zelenskyy for peace deal setbacks
Speed Read Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has rejected the US proposal, which includes Russia's takeover of Crimea
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
How the woke right gained power in the US
Under the radar The term has grown in prominence since Donald Trump returned to the White House
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK
-
A running list of RFK Jr.'s controversies
In Depth The man atop the Department of Health and Human Services has had no shortage of scandals over the years
By Brigid Kennedy
-
Musk vows DOGE pullback as Tesla profits plunge
Speed Read The Tesla SEO says he will soon step back from government matters to devote more time to the company
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
IMF sees slump from tariffs, Trump tries to calm markets
Speed Read The International Monetary Fund predicts the U.S. and global economies will slow significantly due to the president's trade war
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Climate: Trump's attempt to bring back coal
Feature Trump rolls back climate policies with executive orders aimed at reviving the coal industry
By The Week US
-
Trump's budget: Gutting Medicaid to pass tax cuts?
Feature To extend Trump's tax cuts, the GOP is looking to cut Medicaid and other assistance programs
By The Week US